Bump Update

I've done a lot worse with keeping updated about this pregnancy.  Part of it is having two other kids and a busy summer, part of it is that this pregnancy has been so tough, I don't want to just write and complain!  But here's a little update:

How far along?  25.5 weeks


Maternity clothes, yet?  Yup.

Sleep?  I sleep pretty decent.  If I wake in the middle of the night it's typically because of one of the older two having a nightmare or needing to use the potty.  

Best moment of the week?  Seeing the kids get more and more excited at the realization that they're going to have a new baby sibling!  We went and visited a new small group this week and the couple who leads it had a 9 week old baby there and both of our kids were smitten with the idea of a new little one.

Any movement?  Much more than before!  It took until about 23 weeks before I felt anything consistently.  He still moves a lot less than both of his siblings, but his timing is pretty predictable.

Cravings?  I'm not craving any one food in particular.  I could have Mexican food every night, though.

Gender?  BOY!  We are so excited for a little more rough and tumble in the house!

Labor signs?  No.  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but that's nothing new to me.

What I miss?  Feeling normal.  Over the last two weeks I've experienced horrible ligament cramping and found out I've got pregnancy  induced TMJ and a condition called dyspnea that's caused by the pregnancy.  Pretty much I'm short of breath 100% of the time.  60% of all pregnant women will experience some form of this condition and 20% experience it all of the time.  It has nothing to do with what # pregnancy this is, it just happens.  Thankfully after I learned what it was causing this, I was able to calm the anxiety and so it doesn't feel quite as horrible as it did at first.

What I am looking forward to:  Meeting this little boy!!  So many people say this pregnancy is FLYING, but it has been, by far, my longest pregnancy (as far as how the timing has felt).  I'm keeping busy, but it seems like the next 15 weeks will just drag.  Also, getting started on his nursery.

22.5 Weeks

25.5 weeks:

Train Museum

We were so excited that Mimi was able to take a weekend off from studying and take us to the train museum while we were in Miami!  I think that, along with the restaurant overlooking the airport, were Brody's favorite parts of Miami.  

We took a ride on an old commuter train that came from Chicago. 

Brody was thrilled to see all of these HUGE trains!!  He would run from one to the other with a huge smile on his little face.

You can see the glint in his eye as he spots another train he wants to look at in this next picture!

The big "claim to fame" of this train museum is that they have the old President's train (the Air Force 1 of trains, if you will) on display.  President Roosevelt designed it.  (again, you can see Brody's star struck look as he spots another train to look at while we take pictures)

We actually were only able to cover about half of the museum as it's only open until 4pm and we arrived at 2:30.  It'll be fun to go back and see the rest, one day.

Pretty Pictures

Here are a few pictures I snapped in Miami that have quickly become my favorites.  

Miami Children's Museum

Today we hit the Miami Children's Museum while Mimi studied.  To say the kids had a great time would be an understatement.  

 They practiced some dental hygiene together.

 Did a little grocery shopping at Publix, where shopping is a pleasure (and you can get a 20lb wheel of cheese, apparently.)

Put out some fires with the local fire station.

 Took a little motorcycle ride with the Miami Police Dept...

 Worked together to move some dirt on a build site.

 Became a captain of a carnival cruise ship.

 Moved some large cement blocks to build a sky scraper.

 (small break in the carnival cruise lounge)

 And rounded off our tour of the museum with some big stuffed bears!

 Then we headed over to the ocean for a nice ocean side lunch. 

 Logan was right in the path of the wind for a while!

 Then it calmed down and we got a sweet picture.  Her hair is getting so long!!

 Usually she's all smiles, but it seems like she's rediscovered her tongue and ways she can use it to be a little difficult lately.  ;)

Shopping

The kids and I came down to Miami while Mike finishes his time in DC.  This way we could get a little help and a little vacation.  Mimi has been promising Logan for months a girl's night to the American Girl Bistro and a trip to the store so that she could pick out her very own AG doll.  To say she has been excited would be an extreme understatement!  In preparation she and I have been reading our way through several AG series books-- Molly, Caroline, Marie-Grace, and Saige are the one's that we've gotten through.  She's become very attached to several characters and this made the decision making very hard.  We went to the store 30 minutes before our dinner reservations hoping to get the decision making rolling, but it barely got the ball moving as she insisted she needed some food in her and some time during dinner to help make her choice. 

So, we sauntered over with Lucy in tow and sat down for our meal.

It is such a nice atmosphere for little girls.  They brought Logan a "juice cup" to help Lucy sip.

 

We brought Aunt JoAnne and Tita with us!

Logan needed some extra time, so she ordered a banana split to stall.

 Then we went and walked the store several times in effort to eliminate some of the dolls from her list.  She stopped for a photo op with Saige!

 An hour and a half after our arrival she FINALLY made a decision!  (she was also thrilled that we brought friends with us for our girl's night because it meant she racked up on doll clothes)

 She chose......

Caroline!

 After much humming and hawing Logan decided it'd be fun to have the doll that looked the most like her. 

 

Brody was a trooper and walked around the mall with Grandaddy and Great Grandpa while the girls did their thing.  He didn't fuss once!  

We had such a great time together, I can't wait to enjoy living some of my childhood out with my own daughter, now.